Vince McMahon

Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 24, 1945 in Pinehurst, North Carolina), is an American professional wrestling promoter.

Schooling and early career

McMahon attended Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia, where he became the first cadet in the school's history to be court-martialed. He was not convicted, however. He graduated from East Carolina University in 1968 with a degree in Business Administration/Marketing. He had married Linda Edwards, three years his junior, in 1966. His first child, Shane Brandon McMahon, was born in 1970.

Related Topics:
Waynesboro, Virginia - Court-martial - East Carolina University - 1968 - Linda Edwards - 1966 - Shane Brandon McMahon - 1970

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McMahon was actually raised as Vinnie Lupton. His mother, Victoria 'Vicki' Lupton, remarried after her first marriage to famed wrestling promoter Vincent J. McMahon failed during World War II. McMahon also has a slightly older brother, Rodney, who is understood to work in the steel industry in Texas.

Related Topics:
Vincent J. McMahon - World War II - Texas

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McMahon didn't meet his biological father until he was 12. Living in a trailer park in North Carolina, he had only known a string of abusive stepfathers until his mother revealed that his father was McMahon. McMahon's company, the WWWF, (World Wide Wrestling Federation) and its parent company the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, had dominated pro wrestling in the Northeastern United States during the mid-20th century, when it was divided into strictly regional enterprises.

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Vince Jr. and Sr. quickly grew close over the subsequent years, and Vince Jr. was fascinated by the pro wrestling business. He became involved in it himself after a ring announcer left abruptly over money and his father needed a quick replacement, but his father wasn't pleased by his son's eagerness to be in the business, since he knew how difficult it could be.

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The elder McMahon was willing to give his son, then a struggling travelling salesman, a shot, however, in Bangor, Maine. In 1971 he promoted his first wrestling card there. In 1972, in addition to promoting, McMahon provided play-by-play TV commentary for the WWWF, but promotion was his real interest.

Related Topics:
Bangor, Maine - 1971 - 1972

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Throughout the 1970s, McMahon became a prominent force in his father's company, tripling the WWWF's TV syndication and pushing for the renaming of the company to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The young McMahon was also behind the famous Muhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki match of 1976, the year his daughter, the now Stephanie McMahon-Levesque was born. In 1979, the WWWF became the WWF and Vincent K. purchased the Cape Cod Coliseum, which held both hockey and wrestling events. In 1980 he incorporated Titan Sports, Inc., which would purchase the Capitol Wrestling Corporation from his father in 1982.

Related Topics:
1970s - Syndication - Muhammad Ali - Antonio Inoki - 1976 - Stephanie McMahon-Levesque - 1979 - 1980 - 1982

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Against his father's express wishes, McMahon began a national expansion process that would fundamentally change the business. By 1983, Vince had full control and ownership of the WWF and its future direction, having bought out all of his father's former partners, including the legendary Gorilla Monsoon. (As part of the deal, Vince promised Monsoon lifetime employment, and Monsoon did in fact remain affiliated with the WWF until his death). Vince's father died in 1984, leaving his son behind to carry on his pro wrestling legacy. The first thing he did as full owner of the WWF was to break away from the National Wrestling Alliance, as his vision of a new, national wrestling promotion was incompatible with their old-school promoting philosophy.

Related Topics:
1983 - Gorilla Monsoon - 1984 - National Wrestling Alliance

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